1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio message transfer sheet with built-in audio information recording/reproducing means capable of recording/reproducing audio information and a manufacturing method thereof, an audio information output sheet, a POP (Point of Purchase) indicator, a sound information delivery apparatus, an audio information delivery component, a label, and a power supply circuit used for the same and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, with regard to an article to be delivered such as direct mail or greeting card, a sender creates the article, specifies the destination of the article and then delivers the created article to the specified destination. The article created and delivered in this way may be made up of a printed matter describing information of which the sender wants to notify the destination enclosed in an envelope or information of which the sender wants to notify the destination printed on a sheet such as post card, etc.
At the destination of the article delivered, after reception of the article, the information printed on the article is browsed. and in this way the information of which the sender wants to notify the destination is recognized.
However, when the article to be delivered with printed information of which the sender wants to notify the destination is sent by the sender, the information printed on the article delivered from the sender is browsed at the destination, and thereby the information of which the sender wants to notify the destination is transferred to the destination, a desired message of the sender of the article to be delivered can be transferred to the destination only visually and in this way the type of transferable information is limited.
Therefore, an information carrier constructed so as to incorporate an audio apparatus capable of recording/reproducing audio information in direct mail and transfer the message with audio is conceived.
FIG. 1a is a plan view of an information carrier with an audio apparatus capable of recording/reproducing audio information incorporated in direct mail, FIG. 1b is a cross-sectional view along the line A-A′ shown in FIG. 1a. 
As shown in FIG. 1a, 1b, this conventional example is constructed of a direct mail component 501a having a display section 502 on which address information, etc., is printed with a built-in audio apparatus 503 capable of recording/reproducing audio information. Furthermore, this audio apparatus 503 is constructed of a PC board 507 mounted with an IC memory 512 for recording audio information and a power supply battery 511, a speaker 509 which outputs audio information recorded in the IC memory 512, a switch 508 to be operated when outputting the audio information recorded in the IC memory 512 from the speaker 509, all of which are mounted on a mount 503a, and pasted to the direct mail component 501a, covered with a cover 513 having a hole from which the switch 508 and speaker 509 are exposed.
In the direct mail 501 constructed as shown above, address information, etc., is printed on the display section 502 and audio information is recorded in the audio apparatus 503, and then the audio apparatus 503 with audio in which information is recorded is pasted to the direct mail component 501a and delivered to the destination. At the destination of the direct mail 501, after reception of the direct mail 501 if the switch 508 is operated, the audio information recorded in the audio apparatus 503 is output through the speaker 509. This direct mail 501 is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1999-70770.
However, since the information carrier incorporating the above described audio apparatus is constructed of an audio apparatus mounted on or pasted to the direct mail component on which address information, etc., is printed, there is a problem that the area to which the audio apparatus is pasted becomes so thick that the address information, etc., cannot be printed with the audio apparatus incorporated. For this reason, in the case of the above described information carrier, the address information, etc., is printed on the direct mail component first and then the audio apparatus is mounted on or pasted to the direct mail component.
Furthermore, since the audio apparatus is mounted on or pasted to the direct mail component and the area is thick, if the direct mail is folded or an external force is applied to this area, the audio apparatus may be peeled from the direct mail component. When the direct mail is two-folded or folded in a Z-figure, the direct mail should be folded in such a way as to avoid the area where the audio apparatus is mounted, which causes a problem that the area where the audio apparatus is mounted or the area which becomes a folding line when the direct mail is folded is limited.
Furthermore, the above described audio information output sheet capable of recording/reproducing audio information needs to be provided with audio information outputting means such as a speaker for outputting the recorded audio information, but the audio information outputting means such as a speaker is required to have certain dimensions to secure a predetermined sound volume, which results in a problem that it is difficult to reduce the size of the entire audio information output sheet.
Furthermore, POP indicators on which advertisement information on goods, etc., is displayed as a POP are conventionally attached to showcases at a shop such as a department store, supermarket or recently a convenience store, and sales promotion activities for goods, etc., are conducted using these POP indicators. For such POP indicators, various display methods or various shapes of POP indicators are considered in order to attract attention of visitors to the store.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-178599 discloses a POP indicator with a window through which inventory tags attached together with the POP indicator are visible formed in a showcase and a noticeably decorated window frame formed integral with the POP display section to thereby attract attention to advertisement information displayed on the POP display section.
However, in a conventional POP indicator, only advertisement information on goods is displayed as a POP, and therefore visitors to the store can only visually recognize advertisement information and there are cases where depending on the design of the POP or size of characters, etc., such a POP indicator may not be adequate to attract attention.
Furthermore, in the case of the POP indicator, an amount of information of advertisement information displayed as a POP is limited by the size thereof and the POP indicator is often attached to a showcase and in that case, the size of the POP indicator is preferably not too large so that it is kept out of the way of a visitor when the visitor picks up a product from the showcase, and therefore there is a problem that it is difficult to display a large amount of advertisement information as a POP.
Furthermore, there are a variety of types of devices capable of recording/reproducing sound information such as audio. With the slimming down of batteries, downsizing of recording control elements, slimming down of pronouncing devices, etc., in recent years, there is a proposal on a thin audio recording/reproducing instrument combining these elements. As a product which uses this audio recording/reproducing instrument, for example, a mail card which incorporates a thin recording/reproducing instrument in one sheet of a double-page sheet, designed to output audio from the recording/reproducing instrument through a switch operation linked with an operation of opening the other sheet is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1997-202072. Furthermore, a duplicate delivery slip which combines a recording/reproducing instrument which records audio information directed to the destination of an article to be delivered with a slip is also disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-246165.
Now, the above described delivery slip provided with a recording/reproducing instrument is only designed so that the sender of the article inputs audio and the receiver reproduces the audio, and therefore it does not cause much time and trouble when the sender transmits a message with audio to the receiver and can be useful because in this way it is possible to make an impression to the receiver that the article is a present given with heartfelt feelings.
However, such a recording/reproducing instrument can be used only when sending an article to be delivered and there has been actually no recording/reproducing instrument that can be used to send a message with audio itself as a main article to be delivered. Therefore, there has been a demand for one which is thin, without being bulky, capable of delivering a message with audio using recording/reproducing means with excellent usability during recording or reproduction.
Furthermore, Japanese Examined Application Publication No. 1991-45433 and Specification of Japanese Patent No. 2889151 disclose an audio card capable of recording/reproducing audio information.
Such an audio card is provided with audio inputting means for inputting audio information, recording means for recording audio information input through audio inputting means, audio outputting means for outputting the audio information recorded in the recording means, a recording button which is pressed when audio information is input through the audio inputting means, a playback button which is pressed when audio information is output through the audio outputting means and controlling means for controlling these operations, and designed so that the audio information is recorded by pressing the recording button and the audio information is reproduced by pressing the playback button.
Here, the audio information is recorded in the audio card capable of recording audio information in such a way as to overwrite audio information recorded in the recording means with the audio information input through the audio inputting means. For this reason, after audio information is recorded in the recording means, if the recording button is pressed mistakenly, the audio information already recorded in the recording means is erased. Therefore, above described Japanese Examined Application Publication No. 1991-45433 describes a technology which adopts a structure that the recording button is easily detachable so that the recording button is detached after audio information is recorded, thereby avoiding audio information from being erased by misoperation of the recording button. Furthermore, the audio card described in the above described Specification of Japanese Patent No. 2889151 is constructed in such a way that when the playback button and recording button are simultaneously pressed after audio information is recorded, control is performed such that further recording of audio information is prohibited, thereby avoiding audio information from being erased by misoperation of the recording button.
However, as described above, in the case of the structure that the recording button is made easily detachable so that the recording button is detached after audio information is recorded to thereby avoid audio information from being erased by misoperation of the recording button, when an audio card with audio information recorded therein is delivered, the audio card is delivered to the destination with part of the audio card detached, causing a problem that the appearance of the audio card to be delivered becomes unattractive.
Furthermore, in the case of the structure that when the playback button and recording button are pressed simultaneously after audio information is recorded, further recording of audio information is prohibited, there is a problem that it is not possible to visually confirm whether the recording of audio information is prohibited or not. For this reason, there may be a case where although the recording is not prohibited yet after audio information is recorded, the user may send the audio card without placing the audio card in a prohibited state believing that the recording is already prohibited. In that case, the recording button may be pressed mistakenly later and the audio information recorded may be erased. Furthermore, in order to prohibit the recording of audio information, the recording button is pressed to record the audio information, and therefore when the recording button is pressed before the playback button is pressed, part of the audio information recorded may be erased.
Furthermore, a double postal card combining a transmitting message card and reply message card is conventionally used for many applications such as invitation for an event, for example, another party of a wedding ceremony, an order form of goods or service, etc. Address information such as the address, name of the receiver is written on the front of such a transmitting message card and information transmitted from the sender to the receiver is written on the back. Furthermore, address information such as the address, name of the sender is written on the front of the reply message card and an area is provided on the back thereof for entering information to be transmitted from the sender to the receiver.
The double postal card structured in this manner is folded along a connecting area between the transmitting message card and reply message card in such a way that address information such as the address, name of the receiver is exposed and sent to the destination, and at the destination the transmitting message card is cut from the reply message card along the connecting area, the information to be transmitted from the receiver to the sender is written on the back of the reply message card and only the reply message card is sent back to the sender.
As such, the double postal card combining the transmitting message card and reply message card has a limited amount of information that can be transferred from the sender to the receiver or from the receiver to the sender and both the transmitting message card and reply message card need to include the address information, which further limits the amount of information thereof.
Therefore, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-121858 discloses a double postal card having a structure that a sheet having a vertical size equal to or double the standard vertical size of a postal card and a horizontal size four times the standard horizontal size is folded into the size of the postal card, so that a greater amount of information can be transferred in the standard size of the postal card.
However, though an amount of information that can be transferred may be increased with such a double postal card, the information can be transferred from the sender to the receiver or from the receiver to the sender only visually, which limits the type of information that can be transferred.
Here, if the audio card disclosed in above described Japanese Examined Application Publication No. 1991-45433 is applied to the above described double postal card, information can be transferred with audio from the sender to the receiver or from the receiver to the sender of the double postal card. For example, in the case of an invitation to another party of a wedding ceremony, if a reply message card is structured so as to be able to record audio information and a reply about whether or not to attend the other party of the wedding ceremony is sent from the receiver of the invitation with a message recorded in the reply message card to the sender of the invitation, the sender of the invitation can receive the message with audio from the receiver of the invitation.
However, even with the above described double postal card with the structure that the recording button is easily detachable so that detaching the recording button after audio information is recorded prevents audio information from being erased by misoperation of the recording button, when this reply message card is sent with audio information recorded in the reply message card as described above, the reply message card is sent back to the sender with part thereof detached, which results in a problem that the appearance of the reply message card sent back becomes unattractive.
Such a problem is not limited to the above described double postal card, and can also occur with an audio information delivery component combining a transmitting message section and reply message section.
Furthermore, a label structured so that it can be pasted to an object to be labeled such as an article using an adhesive is conventionally provided in various modes according to the use and used for various applications. Such a label can transfer information with the information printed or written on the surface thereof.
Furthermore, in recent years, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-242788 discloses a label with information to be transferred displayed on the surface thereof and processed into a convex form including Braille characters, capable of transferring information to the visually handicapped, too. In this way, displaying information to be transferred on the surface of a label and processing it into a convex form including Braille characters allows the information displayed on the surface to be transferred to the able-bodied and allows the information expressed through convex form processing to be transferred to the visually handicapped, too.
However, the above described label, to the surface of which convex form processing including Braille characters is applied, can transfer information expressed in Braille characters to the visually handicapped who can read Braille characters, but cannot transfer information to the visually handicapped who cannot read Braille characters.
Here, those who can read Braille characters account for less than 20% of all the visually handicapped and the proportion is less than 5% when people with weak sight and senior citizens are included. For this reason, even if a label, to the surface of which convex form processing including Braille characters is applied is used, there still is a problem that it is difficult to transfer information to many visually handicapped and people with weak sight.
Furthermore, in recent years, not a small number of products driven by battery power are required to save space of a power supply section in order to achieve the downsizing and multi-functions and as a means for meeting such a demand, a button-type battery is used. Furthermore, the above described audio card, etc., requires a low-profile battery.
Here, in recent years, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-502206 discloses a paper battery having a structure of a positive electrode and negative electrode laminated together through an electrolytic layer. This paper battery is partitioned by the electrolytic layer into the positive electrode and negative electrode and the respective electrodes of the positive electrode and negative electrode are exposed on different surfaces of the paper battery. For this reason, when such a paper battery is mounted on a circuit substrate to construct a power supply circuit, one of the positive electrode and negative electrode does not face the circuit substrate and the electrode not facing the circuit substrate will have a connection terminal for providing a connection with the circuit substrate connected by soldering, etc. through which it is connected to the circuit substrate. However, when the electrodes of the paper battery are connected to the circuit substrate through the connection terminal, the resistance between the electrode and the circuit substrate increases. Moreover, doing so requires an additional operation, which results in reduced productivity and increased cost.
Therefore, the Specification of Japanese Patent No. 2866383 discloses a technology of folding part of a paper battery so that a positive electrode and a negative electrode are formed on the same surface. This technology folds part of the paper battery whose positive electrode and negative electrode are formed on different surfaces, superimposes this paper battery on the circuit substrate through an insulating film provided with holes through which parts of the positive electrode and negative electrode are exposed and connects the positive electrode and negative electrode of the paper battery, and circuit substrate through these holes.
However, as described above, when part of the paper battery is folded and the positive electrode and negative electrode are thereby formed on the same surface, this means that the paper battery is continuously used with part of the paper battery folded and this involves a problem that the paper battery is used in an environment unfavorable to the paper battery compared to the use of the paper battery without folding.
Furthermore, as described above, in the case of a power supply circuit made up of a paper battery laminated on the circuit substrate, it is possible to apply, for example, an anisotropic/conductive film or an anisotropic/conductive adhesive to a connection terminal of the paper battery, and then mount the paper battery on the circuit substrate and electrically connect and bond together the paper battery and circuit substrate using the anisotropic/conductive film or anisotropic/conductive adhesive.
However, as described above, when the paper battery and circuit substrate are connected using an anisotropic/conductive film or anisotropic/conductive adhesive and the paper battery is mounted on a circuit substrate to thereby manufacture a power supply circuit, the anisotropic/conductive film or anisotropic/conductive adhesive is applied to the electrodes of the paper battery first, and then the paper battery and circuit substrate are provisionally crimped and then the paper battery and circuit substrate are completely crimped, which results in a problem that such a manufacturing step is more complicated and productivity is reduced.
Furthermore, there is also a problem that the anisotropic/conductive film or anisotropic/conductive adhesive cannot be easily controlled, is expensive and thereby requires complicated control and increases the manufacture cost of the power supply circuit.